Great Skua

Overview

The great skua, sometimes known by the name bonxie in Britain, is a large seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is roughly the size of a herring gull and is classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Adults are a streaked greyish brown with a black cap, while juveniles are a warmer brown and unstreaked below.
• Measures 50–58 cm in length with a 125–140 cm wingspan, and features a short, blunt tail and a massive barrel chest.
• Possesses white wing flashes that are distinctive even at a distance, giving the impression of a common buzzard in flight.
• The call is a harsh hah-hah-hah-hah, with quacking and croaking noises also heard.

Habitat

It breeds on coastal moorland and rocky islands in Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Scottish islands, and parts of mainland Scotland and northwest Ireland. It is a migrant species that winters at sea in the Atlantic Ocean, regularly reaching North American waters.

Diet

It mainly eats fish caught at the sea surface or taken from other birds, as well as eggs, carrion, berries, and small mammals. A common technique is to fly up to a gannet in mid-air and grab it by the wing to force a surrender of its catch. Probably its most prolific food source is by-catch abandoned by fishing vessels.

Did you know?

Ecologists observed great skuas preying on Leach's storm petrels at night using night vision gear, a remarkable strategy for a seabird. It has also been known to prey on lambs and even pony foals.